Additives To Corn Cob Media Question

[Hawk]

There may be a thread on this, but my admittedly limited search skills couldn't find it.

I have a Dillon CV-2001 vibrating case cleaner that takes about a gallon of corn cob media.

I wash my brass in a little dish soap first, then soak them in a little Lemi-Shine and dry before polishing.

I use two or three cloths dryer sheets to collect dust with each batch in the vibrator.

I load for my wife, daughter, brothers and in-laws (out-laws?), that shoot a lot. I process a lot of brass, mostly pistol, but 7 standard pistol calibers from 25 ACP to 45 ACP and 9 rifle calibers from .223 to 300 Weatherby.

I have used Dillon Rapid Polish for years. It produces a nice shine, but I noticed the cases tarnish after a year or two or longer storage. (Premium hunting rounds that may last 2 or 3 seasons and SHTF ammo stashes)

Trying to find something better, I tried Flitz Green Tumbler Media Additive in my last batch of clean media (3 months ago), but it leaves a dirty residue that will wipe off on your fingers after handling 15 to 20 9mm cases. Much worse than the Dillon Rapid Polish. After a few hundred cases, your hands are filthy. This happens when loading and firing the ammo as well.
I can probably wash this off, but then the cases will have water spots on them and it adds another step in the process. I really don't want to hand wipe thousands of 9mm cases down by hand.

I've ordered some Nu Finish Liquid Car Polish to try. I don't know how much to use in the vibrator, so suggestions would be appreciated.

What are other people using and having luck with?

Just trying to find a better way that leaves the brass clean, shiny and protected.

 

[Maven]

I've had great luck with [20 yr. old] Midway polish in my Midway vibratory tumbler. The stuff contains orange oil and a very fine abrasive and frankly, reminds me of car waxes of long ago. Btw, if you try Nu Finish, start with a capful and add a new dryer strip torn/cut into thirds every time you add polish and/or use the machine.

 

[Rick]

I use this in both Dillon vibratory tumblers, been happy with it for years.

 

[300BLK]

I quit using polish additives as it seemed to make dust. All I use is plain corncob media, or will add a little mineral spirits if I feel like it might be beneficial.

 

[Ian]

SSTM. Throw everything else in the garbage and live happily ever after.

 

[freebullet]

Cap full'o oms works like a champ.

 

[Hawk]

SSTM. Throw everything else in the garbage and live happily ever after.

Been thinking about building a wet tumbler. I think there are plans on the other forum.

I have a motor from an old bucket ice cream maker that might work. Just worried it will take up too mush space.

 

[JSH]

I use new finish car wax.
In a new batch of corn cob I put new finish in every time for the first dozen or so times.
After that, a tablespoon or two of mineral spirits. That will clean carbon out of the cases, even deprimed primer pockets.

The mineral spirits seems to "wake up"'the waxes and cleaners.

And before ya ask, I have had zero issues with any primers being killed by the MS. The MS evaproates off with little if any residue.
Jeff

 

[Ian]

I have a motor from an old bucket ice cream maker that might work. Just worried it will take up too mush space.

You'll have plenty of space once you divest yourself of all that cob media and cob vibrating/sifting equipment

 

[fiver]

for long term storage nufinish will do the job.
I generally will do a batch of the wet tumbling, drain and separate, then right into the dry tumbler while the brass is wet, with some nufinish.
I also use the nufinish on the car and to apply it a small amount of water is needed to get the best results.
1.5hrs in both tumblers is about the right number.

 

[Hawk]

what are u guys using for wet tumblers?

 

[Ian]

I also use the nufinish on the car

What? On your car? I guess that's why I can never find it in the sporting goods section.

what are u guys using for wet tumblers?

I use the big one from SSTM, holds about a gallon and good for lots of other things like making round balls round and pulverizing charcoal. The plastic jobbie from Frankford Arsenal seems pretty good, too, and is cheaper.

 

[358156 hp]

for long term storage nufinish will do the job.
I generally will do a batch of the wet tumbling, drain and separate, then right into the dry tumbler while the brass is wet, with some nufinish.
I also use the nufinish on the car and to apply it a small amount of water is needed to get the best results.
1.5hrs in both tumblers is about the right number.

This is what I do too, almost word for word. BTW, when your tumbler media starts getting a little funky, don't add more NuFinish for a couple of cycles. Just a little mineral spirits seems to clean the media a bit, re-liquify some of the polish, and deposit it on the brass in the tumbler. Then into zip lock bags for storage until needed.

 

[358156 hp]

what are u guys using for wet tumblers?

I use the old Lemi-Shine & Armor-All car wash in my Thumlers Model B. I've found nothing that works better for me.

 

[Ian]

Rainwater (we can cache it legally in Texas, unlike a lot of places), or distilled water, any kind of liquid dishwashing detergent like Dawn, Lemon Joy, or Palmolive) and either McCormick tomato preservative or Lemi-Shine. Detergent amount to match amount of grease/oil/wax on the brass and I always go heavy on the citric acid at about 1.5-2 teaspoons per gallon.

 

[fiver]

we have super hard water here.
I installed a salt additive softener which really helps break down the calcium.
[we are called soda springs because of the naturally carbonated water here.]
but I use just the hot treated water, lemi-shine and regular dawn.
I have tried the carnuba car washes, adding stuff to the dry media and such but find the 2 step process works a lot better.
I think adding the wet cases to the dry media is the trick to keep the nufinish working and the heat from the dry tumbling dries the cases out faster than letting them sit around, plus it knocks down any water spots.

I'm using the rebel 17.
it holds a gallon of water 5 lbs of pins and a couple of pounds of brass.
I'm pretty sure the motor is just one you would use in a bathroom vent but geared up about 9/10-1 from little to big so you can make use of the full @2800 rpms.

 

[Ian]

I never got the wax rinse thing to work very well, either. It will make the brass water-repellant, but not oxidation-proof. I ended up just mixing a thinner solution of Nu-Finish and lightly dampening a big bath towel with it using a pump sprayer. Shake out the rinsed brass, see-saw it in the wax-dampened towel hammock-style, then again on a dry towel to polish, and done. I'll do just about anything to keep cob or walnut media away from my flash holes, and the easiest way for me is never put the two together. YMMV.

 

[Winelover]

I have used IOSSO polish in the past. Currently using NuFinish, just because I have it laying around....been using it on my vehicles, since its introduction. About a 1/2 cap full in a Model B Tumblers Tumbler. I omit the mineral spirits. Read the label. Nu-Finish already contains petroleum distillates. Too much of either, just gums up the works. Have only had to use Lemi-Shine/dish soap combination once, to clean grungy military brass. Does a good job......if you let your brass get that filthy. To keep media out of primer flash holes, I only deprime after cleaning my brass.

 

[300BLK]

RCBS Sidewinder for a wet tumbler with ceramic media, Dawn dishwashing liquid and water. The wet tumbler got used for blackpowder cases mostly, but now gets grungy range pickups. After rinsing, cases get towel dried, shaken and thrown into the vibratory tumbler with dry corn cob media. When the media doesn't stick, its ready to load, so about 30 minutes. I have no issues with corn cob meida sticking in primer pockets.

 

[KHornet]

I use lizard bedding (finely ground walnut shells), no additives, no problems.

Paul